American Airlines flights in Phoenix canceled as temperatures soar

LOS ANGELES (FOX 11 / CNS) - Anyone planning to fly to Phoenix Tuesday may want to check their flights to ensure they are actually flying.

American Airlines canceled more than four dozen flights in and out of Phoenix Monday due to operational concerns over extremely high temperatures in the desert city. Roughly 40 flights in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor airport were canceled Tuesday, according to the airport.

By midday, Los Angeles International Airport's website indicated that three arriving flights from Phoenix -- one of them being an American flight -- had been canceled for Tuesday afternoon. Three flights bound for Phoenix, two of them American, had been canceled.

It was unclear if all of the cancellations were due to the weather.

American Airlines, which began notifying customers over the weekend of expected cancellations, said that travelers would have the option of rebooking their flights or receiving full refunds.

According to an American Airlines statement, the maximum operating temperature for certain smaller, regional aircraft was expected to be reached during the day, leading to the cancellations.

Larger aircraft can operate at higher temperatures.

American spokesperson Ross Feinstein told the Washington Post that heat-related cancellations could be expected throughout the week.

He said each aircraft manufacturer sets it own maximum operating temperatures.

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